House passes memorial asking U.S. to focus on return of former FBI agent being held in Iran

TALLAHASSEE -- The House passed a memorial Thursday asking the U.S. government to focus its resources on the return of South Florida man Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent who was kidnapped in Iran six years ago while there on business.

The family has occasionally received videos or other communications from anonymous sources indicating that Levinson, a father of seven is alive. The U.S. government has pushed Iran for years to find and release Levinson, but to no avail.

Doug Levinson, a Florida State University freshman, was 13 when his Dad disappeared. His mother kept him out of the spotlight, he said, so his appearance in the Florida House was the first time he has represented his family in relation to his dad's disappearance.

"I was in seventh grade when my dad disappeared, so he missed all of my middle school, my high school career and now the first year of college," he said.

Still, Levinson said the family is trying to drum up more attention to keep putting pressure on the government to solve the case. He said he knows the state department is working on it, though.